Sprouted seeds are intended for food or seedling preparation.

Already around the 2nd century BC, the Essenes, members of a Jewish community established on the shores of the Dead Sea, consumed sprouted seeds and bread made from sprouted seeds. In the 2nd century, the Chinese pharmacopoeia mentions the use of bean sprouts. Around 1200, the neideh, an Egyptian bread made of sprouted wheat, added flour and cooked, was introduced.

The foul is still an oriental dish made of large brown beans or red beans swollen by pre-germination, then simmered and cooked in various ways. Among the Hounzas, a people of northern Pakistan renowned for their good health and longevity, sprouted cereals constitute a large part of their diet.

On the African continent, millet beers are made from sprouted grains. In our countries, we speak rather of seeds that are generally germinated out of the ground and then used in salads or as a side dish. Germination is a simple method, not very expensive, but on the other hand very rich from a nutritional point of view.

To come out of its resting state, the seed must first undergo a soaking period in spring water if possible (as pure as possible). It is a phase of pregermination. This soaking should last from a few hours to 1 or 2 days depending on the type of seed used. After the soaking, during the process of germination itself, varying from one to ten days according to the species, seeds must remain at room temperature (to avoid however the too big heats), always wet (but not too much in order to avoid the rot) and to profit from a sufficient oxygen contribution to ensure the development and the good germination. It is necessary to rinse the seeds twice a day in order to eliminate the substances released by the processing activity of the seed. During this period the reserves in the heart of the seed undergo an intense transformation activity in anticipation of growth.

The activation of the growth enzymes makes the nutrients more digestible and assimilable by dissociating them. The starch is predigested into simple sugars such as maltose, the proteins are already dissociated into amino acids and the lipids into small fatty acids. During this phase, the levels of vitamins, minerals and trace elements increase significantly and can rise by more than 100% compared to the initial levels. The amount of vitamins is multiplied by 3 to 12 times depending on the type of seed. Some sprouts, such as wheat for example, after germination will appear certain elements, such as vitamin C, which were not present in the original wheat grain.

Almost all seeds can be sprouted and used in food, although the sprouting process is easier for some seeds. Is it necessary to remind that the ideal is to use seeds of organic origin?

Legumes such as alfalfa, fenugreek, mung beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas and clover can be germinated; mucilaginous plants such as watercress, flax, rocket, mustard...; or cereals such as oats, wheat, corn, millet, barley (not hulled), buckwheat, rye, quinoa, rice...

You can also use oilseeds, sesame, sunflower or even dried fruits (almonds, hazelnuts). Some vegetable seeds can also be used for germination: broccoli, carrot, celery, cabbage, spinach, fennel, turnip, onion, leek, parsley, radish,... Some seeds can be toxic and are thus not recommended to be germinated, it is about the seeds of tomato, eggplant and rhubarb Ideally, the seeds should be eaten raw so as not to alter the vitamins and enzymes. However, some legumes and cereals with a harder shell require cooking at low heat (max. 40°) to be more digestible.

Thus, with this simple germination process, every city dweller can easily
create their own little organic garden of health and vitality.